Thursday, March 6, 2014

Almond Butter Energy Bites

The last couple of weeks I've made it my intent to eat "cleaner"---meaning no bad carbs, no processed foods, no sugar... basically no junk.

I typically eat pretty healthy and have always strived for an 80/20 diet of good/healthy food mixed with things I love like glazed croissants and ben & jerry's blueberry graham frozen greek yogurt (YUM!!) Because seriously what is life if you can't enjoy the things you love?! I don't restrict and I never use the word "diet"--- I don't believe in them. Because trust me peeps, been there done that on the extreme in my early twenties. I learned the hard way that that is not the way to go.

I now believe whole heartedly in a lifestyle of moderation. And that is what I want to teach my kids, particularly my girls. I know how easy it was for me to get sucked into some unhealthy habits when it came to wanting to be "skinny" and as a mom to my girls it is one of my top priorities to teach them a life of balance. To love themselves, love their bodies and to do what they can to keep it healthy. Not skinny. Healthy. I don't run and eat clean to be skinny, but to be fit and healthy. There is a big difference and I believe that the way they will think about these things begins right here in our home, watching their mom. That's pressure, but it's also an honor. So I want to make sure to be mindful of their little eyes and ears and truly lead by example.

Ok so that all being said, back to my clean eating goals over the last 2 weeks. Here's the thing here folks... I gained a good 5 lbs from December to February through the hormone craziness of my miscarriage & also going from running a ton of miles a week, to running like, NO miles over Christmas. Also I can't deny my habit of needing to have something sweet while watching my shows with Brandon late at night. It all sort of caught up to me and 5 lbs later I decided I had to tweak some things again to get back in line. So, in an effort to face things with balance, I've found some healthier options for us. Including our very favorite at the moment. Almond Butter Energy Bites. I totally made up the name. You can call them anything you want.

I found a few different recipes for "protein energy bites" on pinterest and sort of mixed them all up, played with it myself and came up with this one. They are so good as a treat when I am wanting something sweet. Or even just a quick snack. I've made them so many times over the last couple of weeks because we eat them up so fast.

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup of almond butter

1/4 c of mini chocolate chips (I started with 1/2 cup but I prefer less sweet so I only add about 1/4)

1/3 cup of honey

2 tbs of chia seeds (I like the crunch these add and they are SO good for you too so I sneak them in wherever I can these days) * you could also use flax seeds.

Mix it all up, roll into small bite size balls and store in the refrigerator. They are good right away but even better after they've been in the fridge a couple hours. Brandon loves them, I love them, the kids love them. It's a win-win.

Ooooh these sound amazing! We just went grocery shopping, and I've been feeling uninspired with food~ I'm going to make these tonight when I get home! Do you think agave nectar/syrup would work instead of honey?

OMG.. I just made these (and oddly had all of the ingredients). My husband will not stop eating them, and told me he doesn't want to brush his teeth tonight. Is there a way you can make this a pin? These are delicious!!

These look great! Did you make your own almond butter? If not, anything other than almonds in the ingredient on the almond butter? Cinnamon or anything? (I'll have to make my own...none available where I live!) Thanks!

i don't make my own...our grocery store has a machine that grinds the almonds right there, so we buy that. So it's just pure almonds, nothing else....love it! Let me know if you make your own and how it turns out, I'm sure you could!